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Dave Dickenson got a taste of coaching during the Calgary Stampeders 2008 Grey Cup run, and now he will be one full-time.

The former star quarterback has accepted a coaching position with the CFL club as an offensive assistant.

That means the tandem of Dickenson and Henry Burris will continue to work together in the 2009 season.

Under the tutelage of head coach John Hufnagel and offensive co-ordinator George Cortez, Burris thrived in 2008 and Dickenson’s input was an important part of it.

Burris is the reigning Grey Cup MVP as Dickenson performed a coaching type role while out with concussion symptoms during the latter half of the season.

Nothing will really change now, except that Dickenson has an official title.

"It will be just like last year," Burris said Friday morning. "Even though he was a teammate and we were working as fellow quarterbacks, we would always communicate as if he was a coach and I was the player.

"It would help him with his future but it also helped me have his knowledge on the sidelines. It was also nice to have a great friend to work with.

"I will enjoy being out there with him and having him communicate what I need to see. He’s also going to help the other players get in the right place as well."

Dickenson retired in February after 11 CFL seasons in which he won three Grey Cups. He was the title game MVP in 2006 while with the B.C. Lions.

He broke into the league in 1996 behind Jeff Garcia and held the winning field goal during the 1998 Stamps victory at the Grey Cup in Winnipeg.

Following his win as the CFL’s most outstanding player in 2000, Dickenson went on an NFL stint for two seasons before returning to the Lions in 2003.

As one of the most feared QBs in the CFL, opposing coaches often had trouble defending Dickenson because he wouldn’t make mistakes and could read defences so quickly.

His football knowledge has helped Burris immensely as they were teammates together when Burris broke into the CFL with the Stamps in 1997.

Burris said it’s a natural transition for Dickenson.

"Dave has that in his heart," Burris said. "When I first met him when I was a rookie, I told him as much as a great player he is, he will be a great coach one day.

"We talked about it through the season and into the off-season once we knew the decision would be made to hang up the cleats.

"It was tough and it will be tough not seeing him out there with the 15 on his chest. He will make a great coach and this is only the beginning. You will see him go lots of places and do lots of things in the coaching realm."